Mahapuja performed on second day of Gandhari Jatara in Telangana’s Mancherial

Not only Naikpods but also Raj Gonds, Koya, Kolam and other tribal communities congregated at the fort and offered special prayers to the deity

Mancherial: Members of the Rodda clan from the Naikpod tribal community performed Mahapuja to Maisamma and other deities on the picturesque fort and ceremoniously worshipped them on the second day of Gandhari Jatara being celebrated on the outskirts of Bokkalagutta village in Mandamarri mandal on Saturday.

The tribals worshipped the deity by performing Mahapuja, the main event of the fair at around 10 pm. They performed certain traditional rituals at the idol of the deity situated atop the hillock. They drew the Patnam unique drawing to appease the goddess. They then allowed aboriginal tribals to take a darshan of the deity from midnight. Women presented bonam to the deity as a token of gratitude for their well-being.

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Cultural programmes and dance shows such as Thappetagullu and Pillanagrovi by artistes of the Naikpod community were presented on Saturday midnight, enthralling audiences. A Praja Darbar is going to be conducted to address the grievances of Adivasis on the final day of the fair on Sunday. The three-day-long fair began on Friday.

Not only Naikpods but also Raj Gonds, Koya, Kolam and other tribal communities from several parts of Telangana, neighbouring Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh congregated at the fort and offered special prayers to the deity. They dined under the trees and soak in nature. They visited different parts of the scenic fort.

The fort is believed to have been built by a tribal king Meda Raju, who had ruled over this region, by taking assistance from Kakatiya rulers in 900 AD. Similarly, it has idols of Kala Bhairava Swamy, Lord Siva, Lord Ganesh, Hanuman, 10-headed Naga Sheshu and idols of various deities chiseled out of rocks.